this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2025
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No Stupid Questions

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Example: Traffic Speed. Everyone always exceed the speed limit on highways. Why do we still have the limit? Like, either enforce it, or remove it. This stuff doesn't make sense at all.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago

In general speed limits are enforced IMO, just within a certain level. IE yes everyone exceeds the speed limit... but typically by set amounts. IE I know myself I generally go 9 over the speed limit. I expect to get a ticket if I go 11-20 over the speed limit.

That being said, yeah the social construct is probably intentionally encouraged by cops, so that say when they are pulling over random minorities for an excuse to search the car, they have an automatic excuse for why they pulled them over.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

You're not expected to break them. For your example, you're not supposed to go over the speed limit. And it is, in fact, extremely easy to do so. Most people are fine with it. And, no, it's not impossible to do so. There is nothing forcing you to go faster for little to no gain and increased risk for you and other.

You expecting to go over tells something about you.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (8 children)

Practically no one actually drives at or below the speed limit in the US, especially on freeways. Whether or not you personally like this doesn't matter -- it's just how it is.

You're welcome to try it, but speeding is so pervasive in our culture that this will single you out and Ruggedly Individualistic Americans will get frothingly butthurt at you over it. Prepare to get tailgated, cut off, bullied out of your lane, stuff thrown at your car, etc.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It sounds like you're proud of your culture of not giving a crap about rules set to improve safety for everyone. On that account, I agree that we'll never see eye to eye about this.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

What part of what I wrote expressed that I was "proud" of it?

I'm just telling you how people behave. I don't have any control over anybody but myself. For what it's worth, I'm probably one of the six people in this damn country who doesn't drive like a nut.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

You expecting to go over tells something about you.

I don't drive, but every time I’m in my parent’s car, they drive the speed limit, then I see cars flying by on the highway, and I’m like wtf.

I double check the spedometer, it points at just below 60, the sign says speed limit is 60. How is everyone going so fast. They must be speeding.

Not just one or 2 cars. Like almost every car.

Edit: This is in the USA, the Interstate-95 / PA-NJ Turnpike btw.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

For what it's worth, the I-95 corridor from about Richmond to Boston, particularly the DC-Balitmore-Philly-NYC part, is probably one of the worst stretches of highway in the country for generalized insanity and phenomenally poor driving skills on display from everyone involved. It is easily my most hated patch of asphalt in the universe.

A small but measurable improvement would be made to the world instantly if every person in DC and Baltimore had their licenses revoked. Although if experience is any judge, that still wouldn't prevent any of them from still all being on 95, three inches from the car in front and raging over "only" being able to do 80 in a 55.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'm too German to understand what's here.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Do you think traffic speeds aren't enforced? Just because they can't do it effectively because they don't have the resources or man power doesn't mean they don't try.

[–] heavydust 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I live in the south of France. I see cops cars using speed radars once a year. Once a fucking year. They do NOT enforce anything. If they did, half the population would be unemployed.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Anecdotally, I’ve almost never get pulled over in traffic, but the one time I was pulled over, I was doing 76 in a 65 at 5 AM with no other cars on the road and otherwise driving completely fine.

I guess he was bored. Or an asshole. Or both.

Edit: Fixed my paradox

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Both times I've ever been pulled over for speeding the road was empty except me and i was going the average speed people drive on them. 3 people doing 20 over, a cop can shrug and say i don't wanna pick one to ticket. A single car not only sticks out as speeding more easily, but there also isn't much of an excuse for the cop not to pull them over.

Counter intuitively, its easier to get away with speeding when the roads are busy because you blend in. The biggest things you want to avoid when speeding and busy is agressive behaviors and frequent passing. Make it seem more casual and you will blend in with the flow of traffic.

[–] heavydust 2 points 1 week ago

I was doing 76 in a 65

And you're proud of it. YTA as they say.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Take jaywalking for example. Most people aren't going to be bothered by some woman crossing the street when no cars are around.

Is it worth a cops time who's within eyeshot to do anything about it? Waste of resources, she's not endangering anyone.

Same situation but cars are all over, some swerving to avoid or slam on their breaks because she blindly runs out. She gets hit or cars pile into each other.

Cops in eyeshot. Well the drivers certainly are not the ultimate cause of this accident.

That's my guess anyways.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

On the highways here, the original speed limit of 55 was to save our nation's resources, not just "55 to stay alive" but also it was an efficient speed to maintain and still pretty fast.

Inside the city it works much better to make drivers feel unsafe going fast. Narrower lanes, speed bumps, roundabouts, etc.

In answer to your actual question - some laws are just old and haven't been unwound yet and others are used as pretext for profiling, police (or, more properly whoever is running them) like to be able to stop people for no reason but that can be seen as illegitimate, so they keep laws that everyone breaks, jaywalking, etc to have an excuse.

I don't think there is any one law everybody breaks really but also no person who has lived perfectly law abiding life.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Tools in the toolbox. You'll often hear about police saying they need more tools in the toolbox. What it means is they want to be able to enforce laws against somebody they don't like selectively.

If you enforce the speed limit religiously, especially around State capitals, the speed limits would rapidly change.

https://archive.org/details/threefeloniesday0000silv

If this topic interests you, I recommend reading three felonies a day, by Harvey silverglate

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

I don't think everyone always breaks the speed limit, but probably they do at some point during every journey. They knew this went they introduced the 20mph speed limit but they introduced it anyway because they thought it would reduce the average speed by a few mph.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/365789/do-20mph-speed-limits-save-lives-100-fewer-casualties-wales-sparks-uk-debate

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Traffic speed? If you know where all the speed cameras are, you could dodge them and hope there are no other police checking you.

[–] heavydust 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's the whole fucking point. Speed traps are only there to decrease the number of people killed, and we still have idiots complaining about it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Speed traps don't stop or prevent crime/accidents, they generate money. In fact, one could argue a police speed traps causes accidents when a group of cars in the front suddenly slam on their brakes.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Counter question: do you think everyone is sensible?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (5 children)

How do you expect constant enforcement? I'll go over the speed limit on the motorway when it's quiet and the lane is empty. Police generally don't care if you're doing 75 or 80 in a 70, as long as you're not driving like an ass. The most important thing is keeping pace with traffic.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

On top of what others said there's also just virtue signaling, like banning pornography or gambling.

[–] heavydust 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It saves lives, literally, like seat belts. I don't know what to say if you can't understand that.

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